St. Luke's: Saint Alphonsus Health Systems' Accusations Are "Grossly Misleading"

Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke's Health System is denying accusations made by Saint Alphonsus Health System in Boise that it has been navigating patients away from Saint Alphonsus.

In 2012, St. Luke's acquired 40-physican Saltzer Medical Group in Nampa, Idaho, one of the largest multispecialty groups in the state. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and two of St. Luke's competitors — Saint Alphonsus Health System and Treasure Valley Hospital in Boise — challenged the hospital-physician transaction with an antitrust complaint.

In January, Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled St. Luke's must unwind its acquisition of the Saltzer Medical Group.

Saint Alphonsus recently told Judge Winmill that its outpatient referrals from Saltzer Medical Group physicians dropped by more than half since St. Luke's was ordered to undo its acquisition of the physician group, according to an Idaho Statesman report.

Saint Alphonsus said the reason for the decrease in referrals is due to St. Luke's request to keep Saltzer Medical Group under its ownership while it appeals the judge's January ruling, and St. Luke's practice of steering patients away from Saint Alphonsus.

In response, St. Luke's said the accusations made against it are "grossly misleading," and "it is hardly surprising that physicians who have been sued by Saint Alphonsus would not go out of their way to perform procedures at Saint Alphonsus," according to the report. 

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